Pelican Press

Warren Gatland: Wales head coach considers future after record loss. Warren Gatland: Wales head coach considers future after record loss. World champions South ******* arrive in the Welsh capital next Saturday. Wales then face a ferociously tough Six Nations opener against France in Paris on 31 January. This suggests there is no immediate end in sight to such a ********** run and Gatland admitted he was unsure whether he expected to be in charge for the Springboks match and the subsequent Six Nations campaign. He insisted, though, the Wales squad would be determined to turn things around next weekend. “When you’re involved in professional sport, those are the challenges that define you as an individual,” said Gatland. “When you get out in that arena, you’ve got a lot of people looking at you. It’s how you front up to the challenge. “You can bury your head in the sand, walk away or you can roll your sleeves up and block up the white noise. Hopefully, we will put on an improved performance that shows some character against the world champions.” Gatland gave an impassioned message to Wales fans following the Australia defeat. “We’re really hurting from today,” he said. “The supporters have been brilliant with the support they’ve given us over the years. “We probably let them down a little bit. So we need to go out next week and make amends by putting a performance in they can be proud of.” Source link #Warren #Gatland #Wales #coach #considers #future #record #loss Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Disney removes Star Wars film from 2026 schedule Disney removes Star Wars film from 2026 schedule A new Star Wars movie scheduled for release in late 2026 has been removed from Disney’s line-up for that year. The studio had been due to release another film from the sci-fi franchise, for which details hadn’t been disclosed, on December 18, 2026, but it has now been taken off and instead the recently announced Ice Age 6 will be taking its place, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. Disney revealed at its recent biennial fan event D23 in Brazil that the follow-up to 2016’s Ice Age: Collision Course had gone into production, with Ray Romano, Queen Latifah and John Leguizamo all reprising their voice roles. A video clip showed Romano shivering in a blanket as he said: “Ray Romano here with some big news! Wow, it’s cold in here. Did the AC break or something?” Latifah was then seen calling her co-star and she said: “Hey Ray, ready to give the big announcement? I see you got my gift. I thought it would be fun.” As she said it, snow began to fall on the sound stage and Ray then declared: “Ice Age 6 is coming to theatres.” Leguizamo closed out the video saying: “The Herd is back, baby! I gotta call everybody I know.” The film will mark the first theatrical title for the series since Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox in 2019. Meanwhile, plans are still in place to release Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu – a spinoff from the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian – on 22 May 2026, while director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is working on another film in the franchise focused on Daisy Ridley’s character Rey Skywalker. And on November 7, the studio announced Simon Kinberg had been brought in to write and produce a new Star Wars trilogy, which will be produced by Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter the films will involve new characters and not be a continuation of the main nine-movie series. Source link #Disney #removes #Star #Wars #film #schedule Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

iFixit’s PS5 Pro teardown reveals an easily replaceable CMOS battery iFixit’s PS5 Pro teardown reveals an easily replaceable CMOS battery To view this content, you’ll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the “Content and social-media partners” setting to do so. The teardown of the PS5 Pro is here, and while there isn’t all that much different going on from what we’ve seen with the PS5 and PS5 Slim in terms of repairability, Sony has made one notable change: in the Pro, it’s pretty easy to get to the CMOS battery. Whereas accessing this battery to replace it in the two previous PS5 models required a fair amount of work due to its placement beneath the main board, iFixit found that it’s right under the faceplates in the PS5 Pro and nestled behind a hatch that has just one ******. That’s a nice improvement over the other PS5s, where “you’ve got to take apart almost the whole thing to change [the CMOS battery] out,” iFixit notes. Other than that, things look pretty familiar. That’s not to say the PS5 Pro itself doesn’t have excitement to offer — as our reviewers found, of a console when it comes to performance. Less exciting though is its $700 price tag. Source link #iFixits #PS5 #Pro #teardown #reveals #easily #replaceable #CMOS #battery Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Brazil’s first lady Janja Lula da Silva insults Elon Musk at international summit Brazil’s first lady Janja Lula da Silva insults Elon Musk at international summit RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Brazil’s first lady, Janja Lula da Silva, swore at billionaire Elon Musk during a G20 social event on Saturday at which she spoke about the need to regulate social media to rein in misinformation. A ship’s ***** sounded as she spoke and she joked, “I think it’s Elon Musk,” before adding, “I’m not afraid of you,” and using an expletive in reference to him. Musk, owner of social network X, reacted to a video of her remarks by posting a laughing out loud emoji graphic. In another post, he added, “They are going to lose the next election,” in a reference to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The president’s wife spoke at an event ahead of the Rio de Janeiro summit of the G20 group of largest nations set for Monday and Tuesday. Musk’s social messaging network was suspended in Brazil for a month this year for failing to name a legal representative in the country and ignoring court orders to block accounts accused of spreading “fake news” and hate messages. (Reporting by Patricia Vilas Boas; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brazil’s first lady Lula da Silva insults Elon Musk at global summit Source link #Brazils #lady #Janja #Lula #Silva #insults #Elon #Musk #international #summit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dr. Deborah Birx says she is “excited” for data-driven discussions in RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearings Dr. Deborah Birx says she is “excited” for data-driven discussions in RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearings Dr. Deborah Birx, former White House Coronavirus response coordinator, said Sunday she is “excited” for the data on key health issues that will surface in Senate confirmation hearings for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick for Health and Human secretary who has spread false information on vaccines and autism. “I’m actually excited that in a Senate hearing he would bring forward his data and the questions that come from the senators would bring forth their data,” Birx said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” “What I know for sure is he’s a very smart man who can bring his data and his evidence base forward, and we can have a discussion that many Americans believe already is a problem.” President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday in a social media post that he’ll nominate Kennedy to oversee the Health and Human Services Department, which encompasses multiple agencies and has a $1 trillion budget. The position has to be approved by the Senate, which, come January, will be controlled by Republicans, which could make the nomination process easier but is not a guarantee. “I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The ******* States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” Trump wrote in a social media post last week. He said Americans have been “crushed by the industrial food complex and ***** companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation” about public health, and Kennedy would “Make America Great and Healthy Again!” At an October rally, Trump promised to let Kennedy “go wild” on health issues. Kennedy has criticized vaccines extensively in the past, including spreading misleading claims about their safety. He has also pledged to tackle an “epidemic” of chronic ********* and believes that large ***** and food companies are to blame for a broad swath of ailments. Kennedy argues that a number of health issues in the U.S. have worsened, including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, sleep disorders, infertility rates, diabetes and obesity, which he blames on federal inaction. Kennedy has insisted that he is not “anti-vaccine” and has pledged not to ban vaccines under the Trump administration. Kennedy instead promises to “restore the transparency” around vaccine safety data and records that he accuses HHS officials of hiding. This data is expected to be addressed in upcoming confirmation hearings in Congress, a dialogue that Birx said she believes Americans will benefit from learning more about the differing perspectives on concerns surrounding vaccines. “So until we can have that transparency and that open discussion from both sides, I know the members have incredible staffers who will bring great questions from their constituents, and that hearing would be a way for Americans to really see the data that you’re talking about,” Birx said on Sunday. Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA’s top vaccines official, said at an event hosted by the Milken Institute last week ahead of Trump’s decision that he hopes to find common ground with Kennedy and that he is also open to a conversation based on data. “What I would ask of him is that he keep an open mind. We’re happy to try to show as much of the data as we can. And I think the data are essentially overwhelming, in certain areas, but we’ll just have to engage in the dialogue,” Marks said. If confirmed by the Senate, Kennedy will be in charge of a giant portfolio, including the Centers for ******** Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and ***** Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Birx said on Sunday that Kennedy, who ran for president this year but has never held public office and is already facing criticism for his qualifications, would benefit from having an experienced team around him that come from the medical industry. “So really having a management person at his side, a chief of staff, perhaps that has really come out of industry that would know how to bring and look and bring those individuals together that are running the other agencies, because … HHS is probably one of our most complicated departments,” Birx said. Patrick Maguire Patrick Maguire is a CBS News Broadcast Associate. Source link #Deborah #Birx #excited #datadriven #discussions #RFK #Jr.s #confirmation #hearings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hezbollah spokesman ******* in ******** strike in Beirut Hezbollah spokesman ******* in ******** strike in Beirut Reuters Hezbollah’s media chief Mohammed Afif has been ******* in an ******** strike in central Beirut, according to news reports citing Lebanese security sources. A strike hit the headquarters of the Baath political party in the densely populated Ras al-Naba neighbourhood on Sunday, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. The country’s health ministry said one person was *******, but did not name the victim. Afif, one of the few remaining public faces of the group, was last seen on Monday, when he gave a press conference in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where the group is based. The ******* Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the reports. The BBC has contacted the IDF. Reuters and the AFP news agency both reported that Afif was ******* in Sunday’s strike, citing Lebanese security sources. The Associated Press reported that an anonymous Hezbollah official confirmed his ******. Most of the headquarters of the Lebanese branch of the Syrian Baath party was destroyed in the strike, as rescue and civil defence teams rushed to aid a number of people trapped under the rubble, the National News Agency reported. The health ministry said three people were injured in addition to one *******. Reuters The site of the building where the strike hit, according to Reuters The Lebanese Baath Party is a branch of the Syrian Baath Party, headed by President Bashar Al-Assad, and a long-time Hezbollah ally. Its Lebanese headquarters are located by a busy central intersection connecting western and eastern Beirut with the city centre and the airport road, which passes through the southern suburbs. BBC Middle East correspondent Lina Sinjab said the development raised concern that ******* was expanding attacks beyond Hezbollah military officials. Hezbollah is also a political party with representatives in parliament and ministers in government. “That is really sending alarm to people, that there are no signs of de-escalating this situation or finding a solution, but rather further escalation and widening ******** targets against Hezbollah in Lebanon,” she told BBC’s news channel. Later on Sunday, another strike in central Beirut on Mar Elias Street ******* two people and wounded 13 more, the Lebanese health ministry said. EPA Pictures from Mar Elias Street showed firefighters rushing to put out flames The BBC has reached out to the IDF about the second strike in central Beirut. Earlier on Sunday, the IDF said it had conducted strikes on six Hezbollah military targets in the southern suburbs. In the past week, the ******** military has intensified its attacks on Beirut, amid renewed efforts led by the US for a ceasefire in the war. ******* already ******* Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah and other top commanders and senior officials in Beirut strikes in late September, when ******* launched an offensive against the Iran-backed group. ******* said it wanted to return tens of thousands of displaced residents to the country’s north nearly a year after Hezbollah stepped up rocket attacks in support of Palestinians after ******’s ******* on ******* on 7 October 2023. More than 3,400 people have been ******* in Lebanon since then, including at least 2,600 since ******* launched a intense air campaign followed by a ground invasion in the south in late September, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Another 1.2 million people have been displaced. Source link #Hezbollah #spokesman #******* #******** #strike #Beirut Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Somerville dev, JumpShip, deemed “redundant” Somerville dev, JumpShip, deemed “redundant” The game developer responsible for Somerville has closed its doors as its parent company, Thunderful Group, deems it redundant. The studio was founded in 2017. Revealed on LinkedIn, a series of former staff, such as game producer Sara Simmons, announced that parent company Thunderful shut the studio down and these people are now looking for new positions. The shuttering was further confirmed on LinkedIn by former CEO, Dino Patti, who now encourages perspective partners of the studio to reach out to him first so he could provide valuable insight. “When that is said, if you are a game company considering a partnership or being published by Thunderful, I encourage you to reach out to me before signing anything. I can provide valuable insight that may save you and your team considerable challenges in the future.” The closure of JumpShip isn’t too shocking, considering Thunderful had previously revealed that it’s “doubling down” on third-party publishing while scaling back internal development. Source link #Somerville #dev #JumpShip #deemed #redundant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s controversial Cabinet and senior staff picks face uncertain future in Washington Trump’s controversial Cabinet and senior staff picks face uncertain future in Washington Washington — President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet and senior staff picks are facing an uncertain future as his selections received mixed reviews in recent days even from fellow Republicans — and a handful sent shockwaves through Washington. Trump’s selection for attorney general in former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a GOP firebrand who was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of ******* misconduct and obstruction, has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle. And Trump’s pick for defense secretary in Pete Hegseth, an Army combat veteran and former Fox News anchor, has also sparked concerns, especially as an investigation into ******* ******** allegations against him has been made public. Additionally, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, doesn’t have a background in intelligence and has drawn criticism for her views on Russia and other U.S. adversaries. Appearing on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday, Democratic Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut expressed astonishment about those questioning whether experience is necessary when asked about Gabbard, saying “of course it’s necessary.” “These people are manifestly unqualified, and you know, they’re not prepared to run the very complicated organizations they’ve been asked to run,” Himes said. But Himes, the ranking Democrat on the the House Intelligence Committee, said that Gaetz’s qualifications should also examined as well as the unreleased House Ethics Committee report. “How is it that this is what we’re focusing on?” Himes said. “Matt Gaetz is, by any standard, completely unqualified to be the Attorney General, and yet we’re sort of focused on this, you know, cherry on the cupcake of the Ethics report.” Gaetz’ resignation from Congress after Trump’s announcement came days ahead of a planned meeting and vote by the House Ethics Committee on whether to release a report on its investigation into Gaetz. Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday that he would “strongly request” that committee withhold the potentially damaging report. Rep. French Hill, an Arkansas *********** who also appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, said Johnson makes “an important point,” warning that “we don’t want to set a precedent where we, under any circumstances, will release documents from that committee.” But he stressed that the decision is the committee’s alone, while noting that on Trump’s selections, the Senate will exercise its advise and consent role through the confirmation process. “President Trump has the prerogative to nominate the people that he thinks can best lead the change that he believes the ********* people are seeking in each of the agencies of the federal government,” Hill said. The Arkansas *********** outlined that when Trump came to office in 2017, there were members of his Cabinet who he had no personal relationship with or working background. “He wants to correct that this time by finding people that he has a good working relationship with. He knows how they think, they know how he thinks, because he thinks it will lead to better decision making in his administration,” Hill said. For his part, Himes offered some praise to some of Trump’s other picks. “I actually had a really good day when Marco Rubio was nominated for Secretary of State, when John Ratcliffe was nominated for CIA and when Mike Waltz was nominated to be national security adviser,” Ratcliffe said. “Those are good nominations, not necessarily the nominations I would have made if I were president, but these are serious people with real experience.” Still, he cautioned Republicans in the Senate as the confirmation process plays out, saying that he understands “what happens to Republicans who stand up to Donald Trump,” but “history is a harsh judge.” “The *********** senator who votes to confirm Matt Gaetz or Robert Kennedy or Tulsi Gabbard will be remembered by history as somebody who completely gave up their responsibility to Donald Trump,” Himes said. Sue Gordon, who served as principal deputy director of national intelligence under Trump and also appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, stressed that vetting will be critical to the process moving forward, amid a New York Times report that Trump’s team may bypass the typical FBI procedure and instead opt to use a private firm to vet his nominees who would be granted security clearances. “It seems expedient, but I think it will ultimately harm the institution,” Gordon said, noting that a private firm won’t have the same standards. “I know it’s inconvenient, but I think it’s a bad strategy and risky for America.” Meanwhile, the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan group that assists with presidential transitions, confirmed to CBS News that the Trump team hasn’t signed paperwork that allows for security clearances and background checks, among other things, to occur. Gordon said she can’t think of a “good reason” for the Trump team to forego the transition paperwork, saying that “one of the great falsehoods that’s been perpetrated on America is that our institutions are malfeasant.” “You’re not protecting anybody by not signing those papers, and especially some of the nominees we have that don’t have the really deep experience base,” Gordon said. “To start your gig without any foundation at all, especially when the institutions are begging to give you that foundation, just seems wrong-headed.” Kaia Hubbard Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Source link #Trumps #controversial #Cabinet #senior #staff #picks #face #uncertain #future #Washington Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Brilliant Boulter puts GB into BJK Cup semi-finals Brilliant Boulter puts GB into BJK Cup semi-finals Katie Boulter beats Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in straight sets to send Great Britain into the semi-finals of the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga. Source link #Brilliant #Boulter #puts #BJK #Cup #semifinals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Players Stunned as Nintendo Takes a Leaf Out of Sherlock Holmes’ Book to Track Down Alleged Switch Pirate Players Stunned as Nintendo Takes a Leaf Out of Sherlock Holmes’ Book to Track Down Alleged Switch Pirate The excitement about the Nintendo Switch 2 is palpable, but it’s not just the console that is making headlines. The recent crackdown on piracy has become the talk of the community lately. The company has always been known for protecting its IPs seriously, but it looks like it has stepped up its game a fair bit. It has sent a clear message that it won’t tolerate any infringement. Players are surprised by how lawyers connected the dots against the piracy culprit. | Image Credit: Nintendo From the ongoing legal battle against Palworld to a recent high-profile case involving an alleged Switch pirate, the company’s lawyers have been relentless in their pursuit of those who violate its intellectual property. But what is even more shocking is the strategy they’ve been using to track down these culprits, it’s straight out of a Sherlock Holmes book. Nintendo’s Legal Team Scouring Reddit and Repair Orders to Track Down Pirates Players call the lawyers of the company Ninjas, as they hide in the shadows. | Image Credit: Nintendo Nintendo recently filed a lawsuit against James “Archbox” Williams. He is an Arizona-based individual accused of selling pirated copies of Switch games. While this seems like a normal piracy case, the method the company used to track down the piracy itself was thrilling, almost like something from a spy novel Instead of relying solely on methods like IP tracing or undercover agents infiltrating pirate websites, Nintendo’s legal team used a mix of online detective work and old-fashioned paper trails. Williams (the culprit) was a moderator of the r/SwitchPirates subreddit and allegedly directed users to various pirate stores, sharing tips on how to bypass digital protections. What Nintendo did to track him down was connect his interactions with customer service for repairs to his online persona. The team discovered that someone named “Archbox” had placed repair orders for his Switch, which they were able to tie to a real-world shipping address in Surprise, Arizona. Combining all the information (repair order and his location) with his online persona and Reddit activity (timing, location, and content), the lawyers pieced together the clues and caught Williams red-handed. After hearing this information, players were surprised that the company went to such and started saying that they have ninjas everywhere. Comment byu/Vulcan44 from discussion ingaming Comment byu/Vulcan44 from discussion ingaming Comment byu/Vulcan44 from discussion ingaming The thread was filled with players who were both surprised and amused by the whole story. But one thing was clear: The company has earned respect from fans for its creative and relentless pursuit of justice, despite being extra tough on piracy. Nintendo’s Warning to Pirates Everywhere With this lawsuit, the company has shown that it will take any measure to find the culprit. | Image Credit: Nintendo With its recent successes in piracy cases, including the latest victory against James “Archbox” Williams (who ******* to respond in time so the company won the case by default), Nintendo is sending a clear message to anyone who is tempted to bypass its protections or distribute pirated games: It will find them by any means necessary. The legal team at the company has set a new bar for how IP violations should be handled. The team combined their legal expertise with digital savvy. They used everything from Reddit posts to repair orders as evidence, highlighting that there is always evidence of a ******. The way these cases have been handled, with an extra flair even the best detective novel writers would envy, leaves us wondering: Why didn’t we think of it first? So, to anyone thinking of pirating games and bragging about it on Reddit, be warned: Ninjas might be watching. In the end, while the players are waiting for the official information about Switch 2, they’re also contemplating how Nintendo isn’t afraid to use a little digital detective work to catch its culprits. Source link #Players #Stunned #Nintendo #Takes #Leaf #Sherlock #Holmes #Book #Track #Alleged #Switch #Pirate Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Campos glories in his first PGA win after 80 attempts Campos glories in his first PGA win after 80 attempts Rafael Campos shot a final-round three-under 68 to put the finishing touches on his first PGA Tour victory at the PGA Tour’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Making his 80th start, the Puerto Rican grabbed his third ever top-five finish by carding an eagle, four birdies and three bogeys in Southampton, Bermuda. Campos came into the day tied for the lead having shot the lowest round of his career (62) on Saturday. He started slow with a bogey at the fourth and was one-over stepping up to the drive on the sixth, which is when he made his move. A three-shot birdie on the par-four ***** gave him momentum, which he built into an into an eagle on the par-five seventh. Shaking off another bogey at the ninth, Campos quickly sank back-to-back birdies on the next two holes, putting him at three-under with seven holes to play. Saturday’s other co-leader, Andrew Novak. had a similar slow start, and while he applied some pressure with back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth holes, a bogey on 11 put him at even-par 71 for the day, three strokes behind Campos. Justin Lower, who entered the day a ******* back, fell off the pace, carding bogeys at the 14th and 15th to fall to one over, taking him out of the running as he finished the round with a 72. From there, Campos did exactly what he needed to do, shaking off his final bogey on the 14th to sink a birdie on 17, setting up a two-******* lead on Novak going into the final *****. Any hopes of a playoff were quickly dashed, as Novak’s first shot sailed into the rough and his second went into the bunker. He ended up with a bogey on the par-four 18th. Campos calmly hit for par to sew up his first career win on the same week his wife gave birth to the couple’s daughter. Source link #Campos #glories #PGA #win #attempts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Biden administration will allow Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range U.S. missiles Biden administration will allow Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range U.S. missiles Biden administration will allow Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range U.S. missiles Source link #Biden #administration #Ukraine #strike #Russia #longrange #U.S #missiles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Full transcript of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 17, 2024 Full transcript of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 17, 2024 On this “Face the Nation” broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan: Rep. French Hill, *********** of Arkansas Rep. Jim Himes, Democrat of Connecticut Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat Sue Gordon, principal deputy director of National Intelligence in first Trump administration Dr. Deborah Birx, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator in first Trump administration Click here to browse full transcripts of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” MARGARET BRENNAN: I’m Margaret Brennan in Washington. And this week on Face the Nation: The stress-testing of our federal government begins, as the Trump administration 2.0 prepares for its return to the White House. Change is coming to Washington, along with chaos and the controversy typical of the former president’s management style. Seats in Mr. Trump’s Cabinet are filling up fast, and, this time, the president-elect is using his political capital to do things his way. (Begin VT) DONALD TRUMP (Former President of the ******* States (R) and Current U.S. President-Elect): Forty-nine out of 50 states shifted toward the GOP, won the White House, recaptured the Senate, and now, as of today, recaptured the House. (End VT) MARGARET BRENNAN: Will he use that mandate to circumvent what’s called regular order in the Senate to get some of the more contentious candidates through? We will talk with House *********** French Hill and Democrat Jim Himes, and we will check in with two officials who served in the first Trump administration, former Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue Gordon and former coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx. Plus, Kentucky’s Democratic Governor Andy Beshear offers his party some advice about how to succeed in a red state. It’s all just ahead on Face the Nation. Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation. There are just over two months before Donald Trump takes the oath of office again, but he is not wasting any time when it comes to naming candidates, mostly close allies and loyalists, for key administration roles. Republicans will be back in control of the White House, the House and the Senate, and there’s a ************* majority on the Supreme Court. There are new *********** leaders on Capitol Hill. And the question of whether those leaders will bow to Mr. Trump’s wishes to do things his way or whether they will stand by the office that they hold is already being asked, even before the new Congress and returning president are sworn in. We begin this morning with an update on the Trump transition and our Caitlin Huey-Burns. (Begin VT) CAITLIN HUEY BURNS (voice-over): President-elect Donald Trump took some members of his transition team out to New York for a Saturday night at the UFC fights. AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA! CAITLIN HUEY-BURNS: But here in Washington, he’s gearing up for a ****** of his own over several controversial choices he’s made for his Cabinet, at the center, Florida *********** Matt Gaetz for attorney general. FORMER REPRESENTATIVE MATT GAETZ (R-Florida): We either get this government back on our side or we defund and get rid of, abolish the FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last one of them, if they do not come to heel. (CHEERING) CAITLIN HUEY-BURNS: Gaetz is a fierce Trump ally who led the charge in ousting Kevin McCarthy from the speakership last year. FORMER REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-California): I will give you the truth why I’m not speaker. It’s because one person, a member of Congress, wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old. CAITLIN HUEY-BURNS: Gaetz resigned his seat in Congress this week just before that House Ethics report over alleged ******* misconduct and illicit ***** use was set to be released. House Speaker Mike Johnson had said he would not interfere, but, following an overnight trip to Mar-a-Lago, he changed course. REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON (R-Louisiana): I think we should stick to the tradition and not release a report on a former member of the House, because it would open a dangerous Pandora’s box. CAITLIN HUEY-BURNS: Gaetz was also under investigation by the very Justice Department he was tapped to lead over whether he had violated **** trafficking laws, but no federal charges were filed. Gaetz has denied all of the allegations. The selection shocked the *********** senators he will need to get confirmed. SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine): There are many serious allegations pending against him. SENATOR KEVIN CRAMER (R-North Dakota): He’s got a really steep hill to climb to get lots of votes, including mine. CAITLIN HUEY-BURNS: But Trump is undeterred and says he’s motivated by a mandate. DONALD TRUMP (Former President of the ******* States (R) and Current U.S. President-Elect): The ********* people have just delivered really something very, very amazing, the biggest political victory in 129 years. CAITLIN HUEY-BURNS: And some top allies on Capitol Hill say he’s entitled to his choices. SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-South Carolina): Election have consequences. He chose Matt Gaetz. Matt will come before the committee, and he will be asked hard questions, and we will see how he does. (End VT) CAITLIN HUEY-BURNS: Trump also picked three of his defense attorneys to serve in top positions at the DOJ. And he’s considering a shakeup of FBI leadership. Last night, Trump announced oil executive and climate change skeptic Chris Wright to serve as energy secretary. And we’re keeping an eye on other top positions that he could pick this week, especially who he will choose to run the Treasury Department, Margaret. MARGARET BRENNAN: Caitlin, busy week, and we’re starting a new one. Thank you for your reporting this morning. And we are joined now by *********** Congressman French Hill. He joins us from his district in Little Rock. Good morning to you, Congressman. REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL (R-Arkansas): Good morning, Margaret. Thanks for having me. MARGARET BRENNAN: Glad to have you here. You served with Congressman Gaetz. You heard the speaker, who has said, while he doesn’t want to specifically wade into the Ethics matter, he also thinks it would set a bad precedent to release a report on a former member. Do you think the Ethics Committee should make that decision for itself? REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Well, I think the Ethics Committee does make that decision for itself. But I think Speaker Johnson makes an important point, which is, Mr. Gaetz has resigned from Congress. There are many investigations that the House Ethics Committee has done, and we don’t want to set a precedent where we, under any circumstances, will release documents from that committee. But that decision is theirs. Speaker Johnson has made his views known, and now it will be up to the Senate to conduct their advise-and-consent confirmation process. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, CBS News reported back in June that four women informed that committee they were paid to go to **** and *****-fueled parties with Mr. Gaetz. Also, the Ethics Committee has Venmo transactions showing Gaetz’s payments for the women. Since taxpayers paid money for this report to be conducted, and it was done, do you think, if you were a Senate, you would consider this material information to confirming the top lawmaker for the ******* States of America – law enforcement officer, I should say? REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: No. (CROSSTALK) REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Like I say, I don’t – I don’t have – I don’t personally know any details about the Ethics investigation or the allegations because I haven’t – don’t serve on that committee. But your point is, would the Senate Judiciary Committee ask to see that report? And that may well be a decision that they take. And the Ethics Committee has a decision that they have to make. And Mike Johnson’s expressed his view on that as well. So, as I say, this is an important process that the Senate has to do advise and consent for all the nominations. And President Trump has the prerogative to nominate the people that he thinks can best lead the change that he believes the ********* people are seeking in each of the agencies of the federal government. MARGARET BRENNAN: You have spoken to us before here on Face the Nation about your work around Syria and Bashar al-Assad’s oppressive regime there. You actually visited Northern Syrian, an area that he wasn’t in control of, back in 2017, the first lawmaker since John McCain to do so. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, when she was in office, went to Syria and met with Mr. Assad himself. Then, publicly, she came out and questioned U.S. intelligence assessments of his chemical weapons attacks that were carried out on civilian areas, not just once, multiple times. These were high-confidence assessments by the intelligence community. Would you feel comfortable with her at the helm of all 18 of them? REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Well, I serve on the House Intelligence Committee during this past Congress, and I know the important job that the DNI performs in coordinating, collecting and reporting on our intelligence. And I think, should Tulsi Gabbard be confirmed, she would know with high confidence as to precisely how we collect intelligence, how we coordinate and collaborate on it, and how we then report it to the president of the ******* States and to the two Intelligence Committees. So, again, this is an important assessment for the Senate to make. But I remind you, Margaret, Donald Trump won the election. He wants people that he has a good relationship with, that he trusts, that he believes can do a good job in the agencies to send the message that we want change in Washington. And the Senate too has their important job. And we’re going to have to wait and see how the Senate handles each of these confirmations. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, it was John McCain who went in 2017. You went in 2023. I may have misspoken there on the year. REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Right. Right. MARGARET BRENNAN: But – so you believe the U.S. intelligence community conclusions, though? You don’t mean to question those? REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: No, I don’t. MARGARET BRENNAN: OK. REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: I’m simply saying, as a member of the committee, I don’t question that public assessment that’s been made in the public domain over many, many years. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: And I have led the charge against the Assad regime. I do not support that the ***** League put him back into diplomatic standing by admitting him to the ***** League. And I think America has a lot to do to limit Assad’s influence in the region, which is a partner with the Russians and the Iranians. And that’s not in the interest of the ******* States, Iraq, *******, or peace in the region. MARGARET BRENNAN: You have also been a supporter of Ukraine. And you have been trying to find some creative ways to help allow them to gain access to continued U.S. support. There was a tremendous ******* just overnight there by Russia. The Biden administration wants to provide a $20 billion loan backed up by frozen Russian assets. Will the Congress give them permission to use that money for military assistance? REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Well, the REPO Act that was included in the national security package I worked on very closely with Chairman Mike McCaul of the Foreign Affairs Committee gives the ******* States the authority to not only take frozen assets, but confiscate them and use them for the benefit of Ukraine. The loan you’re referring to has been negotiated between the Europeans and the Americans to back the Ukrainian government. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: I believe that will go through, in my judgment. But I would urge President Trump, as he takes office, to actually follow the law and confiscate those Russian assets, as I believe that gives both Ukraine, the ******* States, and Europe a much stronger negotiating position with Russia. And I don’t believe Biden, nor the G7 countries have been tough enough on Russian on sanctions, on the delivery of weapons that were needed to have ended this war long ago. MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re gesturing to what we know, which is that this is a pretty dangerous world right now. One of the selections that the president-elect has made to run the Pentagon at this time is Pete Hegseth. He would be the defense secretary, 44 years old, decorated Army vet, TV commentator. Do you think experience is necessary, or is on-the-job training OK at the Pentagon? REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: Well, again, I think this will be assessed by the Senate in their confirmation process. He has a distinguished background in the military. And that counts for a lot. And I think his plans, his thoughts, his leadership will be exposed when he goes through that Senate confirmation process. But, once again, I have to say, President Trump, when he came into office in 2017, had Cabinet members that he really had no personal relationship with, had no working background with. He wants to correct that this time by finding people that he has a good working relationship with, he knows how they think, they know how he thinks, because he thinks it will lead to better decision-making in his administration. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: He’s got that prerogative to nominate those men and women, and the Senate will have their advice-and-consent function well underway. And Majority-Leader-to-be John Thune has said, look, he will be effective… MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: … he will be speedy, he will take it done – get it done in the right course of action. MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman, thank you for your time today. REPRESENTATIVE FRENCH HILL: You bet. Thank you, Margaret. MARGARET BRENNAN: And we turn now to Democratic Congressman Jim Himes. He is the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, and he joins us this morning from Stamford, Connecticut. Good morning to you. REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES (D-Connecticut): Good morning. MARGARET BRENNAN: I feel like there is so much news, and I’m getting through a fraction of it, frankly, here. I want to pick up on Tulsi Gabbard, which we just – who we just discussed in the previous segment,. She was a Democratic colleague of yours for many, many years. You’re the ranking member on the Intelligence Committee. She never served on that kind of committee. Do you think experience is necessary? Is she fit for the job? (LAUGHTER) REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: Margaret, how far we have come that, on a major news show, the question we’re examining is, is experience necessary for one of the most powerful positions in the land? Of course it’s necessary. It’s a little bit like our obsession right now with the Ethics Committee report on Matt Gaetz. (LAUGHTER) REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: How is it that this is what we’re focusing on? Matt Gaetz is, by any standard, completely unqualified to be the attorney general, and yet we’re sort of focused on this cherry on the cupcake of the Ethics report. It sort of reminds me of Al Capone. In 1931, Al Capone is convicted of a couple of counts of tax evasion. Now, he was a ******* and a rum runner and a mafioso, and yet he was convicted of tax evasion. This is what the conversation we’re having about Matt Gaetz. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: You know, well, what about this Ethics report? (CROSSTALK) REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: And so, no, these people are manifestly unqualified, and they’re not prepared to run the very complicated organizations they have been asked to run. MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you have any suggestion from your *********** colleagues in the Senate that either of those two individuals will not be confirmed for those positions? REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: Look, all I would observe is that history is a harsh judge. And I understand what happens to Republicans who stand up to Donald Trump. Talk to Adam Kinzinger or Liz Cheney or many of the Republicans who voted for his impeachment who are now gone. I understand that. But history is a harsh – a hard judge. And a *********** senator who takes a vote to consent to the appointment of Matt Gaetz, a chaos agent, a performative social media, no respect for the rule of law, individual, the *********** senator who votes to confirm Matt Gaetz or Robert Kennedy or Tulsi Gabbard… MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: … will be remembered by history as somebody who completely gave up their responsibility to Donald Trump. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. Well, the speaker of the House called him one of the greatest minds in the ******* States or anywhere on another program this morning. On intelligence, though, because of your committee oversight, John Ratcliffe, another former House member who went on to serve in an acting role at intelligence previously, he is the selection to run the CIA. Do you trust him to appropriately handle sensitive intelligence information? REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: I do, Margaret. And just to be balanced here, since I was pretty strong in my opinions about the attorney general and the DNI nomination, I actually had a really good day when Marco Rubio was nominated for secretary of state, when John Ratcliffe was nominated for CIA, and when Mike Waltz was nominated to be national security adviser. I would even add the nominee for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton. Those were good nominations, not necessarily the nominations I would have made if I were president, but these are serious people with real experience. They’re not social media personalities. They haven’t built their careers on ***** and ***********. So, look, some of these nominations, I think, are quite solid, and John Ratcliffe falls in that category for me. MARGARET BRENNAN: OK. Last night, president-elect Trump was at a UFC rally, and alongside him was someone who has had a lot of scrutiny, Elon Musk. He is a billionaire with extensive U.S. government contracts, as I understand it, holds a security clearance himself. He has extensive business ties with China. He also had with him the Saudi Arabia private investment fund governor. They invest with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and they have held golf tournaments through the – one of their entities at Trump golf courses. Do you think that, in this new Congress, there will be scrutiny of potential financial conflicts of interest around Mr. Trump? REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: Well, of course there will be, right? This is sort of not subject to debate. We saw Trump’s first term and the fact that that group of people weren’t particularly concerned with financial conflicts of interest. And, look, all – I don’t know Elon Musk, odd character. You sort of have to respect what he’s done to disrupt space launch, to disrupt the auto industry and whatnot, but early reviews are not good. I read his 12-point government waste manifesto, and he said, look at all this money we’re paying on interest on the debt. That’s part of the wasteful spending. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: Guess what? You have got to pay interest on the debt. And so I’m skeptical that he has any clue. Look, I live in Fairfield County, Connecticut. I know lots of wealthy people here, and there is a syndrome where very wealthy people who got wealthy in finance or as a tech entrepreneur decide that they’re heart surgeons and capable of running the ******* States. I think that’s what’s going on with Elon Musk. But, again, early returns are not good with respect to his ability to understand the federal bureaucracy and make it more efficient, which is a laudable goal. But I’m going to reserve judgment. MARGARET BRENNAN: And no offense to the Fairfield County residents who voted for you, I’m sure. (LAUGHTER) MARGARET BRENNAN: On Saturday, President Biden was meeting with Xi Jinping. And they met for a little less than two hours. The White House says they did discuss that pervasive hacking of U.S. telecom companies that allowed them to steal customer call record data, compromise private communications of those involved in government, and copy information related to law enforcement actions. Do you know and can you say if the hackers have actually been kicked out of U.S. infrastructure, or is China still embedded? REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: Yes, Margaret, that’s not a question I can answer with an awful lot of specificity, but the fact that we obviously know about these hacks means that those particular hacks probably have been addressed in one way or another. But one thing I can say with great confidence, having worked in the intelligence world for some time now, is that I promise you they are out there in ways that we don’t know about. So, my hope is that the president made it very clear that this kind of behavior is not tolerable and that he backs that up and, quite frankly, that Donald Trump, the next president, backs that up with action, as Teddy Roosevelt said, the big stick, right? We’re pretty good at hacking networks too. And I think it’s really important for the ******** to understand that we’re not just going to name and shame the hackers and complain about it, but we – but that we are going to go into their networks and give as good as we got. I suspect that, in this realm, they need to see that we are capable of inflicting a lot of damage if they continue their present behavior. MARGARET BRENNAN: Noted. There will be some selections, as we understand it, in the coming days in the financial space. You also sit on the Financial Services Committee. Trump backer Elon Musk yesterday blasted one of the hedge fund CEOs, Scott Bessent, a cryptocurrency skeptic who’s being considered for that role. Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, apparently also being considered for that role, he is a cryptocurrency fan. Does either candidate stand out to you for a better pick? And what does it really project out to you about what’s going to happen in this space for Mr. Trump? REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: Well, it’s obviously up to the president to decide who he’d like as Treasury secretary. I would note that his first Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, I certainly had disagree with – disagreements with him on any number of topics, including de-sanctioning the Russian aluminum company. But in the cast of characters in version 1.0 of the Trump administration, Steve Mnuchin was far from the creepiest and crawliest of them. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: So we will see what he does on Treasury. What I will say is that, look, crypto… MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: … it’s a little bit like the Gaetz Ethics report. Crypto has yet to make an impact on most Americans’ lives. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: And so I would just argue – and, by the way, I’m open to crypto. I helped work on the legislation to regulate it. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE JIM HIMES: But this is not the determinative factor in our financial lives right now. MARGARET BRENNAN: I know. It’s a technical issue I asked you to get to fairly quickly there, Congressman. I appreciate you weighing in. And thank you for your time. Face the Nation will be back in a minute. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who joins us from Lexington. Good morning to you, Governor. You’re a blue governor in a very red state. How do you even begin to try uniting a country as ******* – as divided as this? Are there lessons we can learn from Kentucky? GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR (D-Kentucky): I think there’s absolute lessons that we can learn from Kentucky,a state where last year I won as a Democrat by five points and Donald Trump just won by 30. And I think it basically boils down to both running and governing where people wake up in the morning and what they worry about when they go to bed at night. And that’s not the next election. It’s their job and whether they make enough to support their family. It’s the next doctor’s appointment for themselves, their parents or their kids. It’s the roads and bridges they drive every day. It’s that public school they drop their kids off at, and it’s public safety in their community. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: The goal here is to focus on all of those things where, if people don’t feel secure in those areas, they don’t get to anything else. They don’t get to the crazy thing that some politicians said last night or this morning. They don’t get to that next piece of policy that’s out there. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: So it’s a – it’s about a relentless focus on people’s everyday needs and their everyday life. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. We’re going to take a break, come back, and have the rest of the conversation on the other side of it. All of you, please stay with us. More from Andy Beshear in a moment. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: We will be right back with a lot more Face the Nation. Stay with us. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to FACE THE NATION. We return to our conversation with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Governor, Kentucky has a lot of coal. It’s got natural gas. Mr. Trump has selected Chris Wright, the CEO of Liberty Energy, to be the next Energy secretary if confirmed. He’s also selected Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, to run the Interior Department, and he’s promised to open up more federal lands to drilling. Do you have any idea what the impact would be on your state from the signals being sent with these selections? GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: Well, we’ll see. I mean, I saw the comments recently from the CEO of Exxon, which was a little different than what we might expect, talking about needing to move to greener forms of energy regardless of what the policy of the day is. And I certainly see from companies that are coming into Kentucky each and every day. We just announced a new industrial battery facility that’s going to create 1,600 new jobs. They demand a certain portfolio of energy. Yes, the lights have to come on. But especially over time for their customers, they want a certain amount of renewables. So, what I’ve seen as governor is a private sector push that I do not think is going to change demands placed on states, demands placed on utilities, and the private sector ultimately moving us to a more diverse and cleaner portfolio. So here in Kentucky, yes, we have many traditional forms of energy, and they have really good jobs. And we want to make sure that we never look down on, and we support each of those jobs. But my goal is to diversify our production as much as we can so that we have the jobs of the present and those jobs of the future. MARGARET BRENNAN: You’ve said Kentucky has something like 10,000 jobs related to electric vehicles. You really made a big push on that that. During the campaign, Mr. Trump vowed to undo the electric vehicle mandate, that’s what he called it, and he’s going to, he says, repeal the law that includes credits for green projects. Do you know at this point if *********** leaders intend to keep parts of that? And are there projections on what repealing that law entirely would do to the job creation in your state? GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: Well, it’s really concerning. You look at a state like Kentucky, that voted for President-elect Trump by 30 points. And it’s 10,000 EV-related jobs on the line. And those are only growing. Go up to Ohio and look at that – I think $20 billion chips factory, which I’m a little bit jealous of, but happy for the people of Ohio, and what that would mean. Another state that voted for the president-elect. So, you look at all of these jobs, and jobs of the future, that have come to what the administration will probably view as red states. It’s important that these projects continue. Remember, a lot of the people taking these jobs, jobs that support their families, voted for President-elect Trump because they thought that would improve their job, that he was focused on their job. So, I hope that he will get good advice, and I’ll do everything I can to get my message out through our federal delegation of how important these jobs are. And they’re not in urban Kentucky. They’re in rural Kentucky. They are game-changing investments that have created a bright future here. And I’m certainly going to do everything I can as governor of Kentucky to protect them. And not because I’m a Democrat – MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: But because I’ve shown my people that every single day I’m going to try to create a better life for them. And that’s what those jobs do. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes, $14 billion between now and 2030 was what was promised to your state. I wonder if you just think Democrats didn’t do a good job of explaining that. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: Well, I certainly don’t want to do any finger pointing because the vice president had 107 days, and she did her very best. And I proudly crisscrossed the country in support of her. But what I know is going forward, over the next couple years, we have a chance every day, every moment to show the ********* people that we are laser focused on jobs, on their health care, on their infrastructure – MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: On their kids’ education. Just – just those everyday worries. And with this administration at least right now selecting some very extreme appointees – MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: It’s a chance to make a real difference, to really show people that – that we are where their basic needs are. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, but there was, as you know, some analysis after the fact among Democrats about the focus on some culture war issues or – so to speak. Congressman Seth Moulton said of transgender issues, “I have two little ******. I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete. But as a Democrat, I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.” He says he’s speaking authentically and said Democrats should do more of it. Do you think Democrats have been out of touch on some of these things that obviously resonate in states like yours? GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: Well, I think that all candidates should stand up for their beliefs, and that we don’t have to abandon those beliefs. You know, I vetoed one of the nastiest anti-LGBTQ bills that my state had ever seen in my election year. But I did two things. Number one, I talked about my wife (ph). For me that’s my ******, where I’m taught that all children are children of ****. And I wanted to stick up for some children that were being picked on in a pretty rough bill. But the second thing is the voters in my state knew the very next day I was going to be working on jobs, I was going to be opening a new health clinic, first hospital in our largest ******** ********* neighborhood in 150 years. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: We just cut the ribbon on. And we’ve created two pediatric autism centers in Appalachia so that people don’t have to drive two hours. So, it’s both sharing your why and your authentic why for – for your views. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: But the other piece is about that focus. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: Because, remember, if we’re talking about this issue of the day – MARGARET BRENNAN: OK. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: And then we’re talking about what Donald Trump said last night – MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR: And then we’re talking about jobs, we’re only spending a third of the time talking about what people are worried about and what impacts their life the most. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. Governor, thank you for joining us today. We’ll be right back. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re joined now by Sue Gordon. She served as the principal deputy director of national intelligence during Donald Trump’s first term in the White House. Good to see you here again. SUE GORDON (Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence): Great to see you, Margaret. MARGARET BRENNAN: So you personally briefed Donald Trump as president in the Oval Office. If this nominee-to-be, Tulsi Gabbard, becomes the Director of National Intelligence, and John Ratcliffe becomes the CIA director, are you confident that Mr. Trump will be told the information he needs to know and not just what he wants to know? SUE GORDON: Well, I think that’s the – I think that’s the question of the day. Intelligence is weird because it’s always uncertain. And you are always making an assessment so that a decisionmaker can figure out what they’re going to do with it. And so, it’s particular. And you – your only job is to ruthlessly report what you see, not what you prefer. So that’s the primary job of the DNI is to go in there and to be his principal adviser on intelligence. You’re the first in. You’re the last out. You cannot afford to I’ll say pander to preference. Loyalty doesn’t serve you well in that job. You have to be so committed that you will say inconvenient things. I will say the former president would tell you that I would talk to him about Russian interference. I know he hated it. But Russia was, in fact, interfering, and he needed to hear that information. So, do I believe that Tulsi and John can be that person if they believe they must be? They can learn. If they lean on the women and men of the intelligence community, they will produce an assessment. But that’s a hard day, and you better be good at it. MARGARET BRENNAN: You had to undergo an FBI background check – SUE GORDON: I did. MARGARET BRENNAN: To obtain a security clearance and to maintain it. You were a career official, 25 years at the CIA. Then, as we said, moved on to national intelligence. “The New York Times” is reporting the Trump team may bypass the FBI process and just use a private firm to vet candidate. Then when the president is sworn in, he can grant access to the nation’s secrets, rather than go through that screening. What risk is there in bypassing the FBI? SUE GORDON: Well, the first risk is that you will get an incomplete picture of the human that is carrying both the trust of the ********* people and the trust of our allies and partners and the trust of the women and men that are putting their lives on the line for that judgment, right? Everyone hates vetting. It’s intrusive. It – you – you don’t know why anyone should have to do it because you know who you are. But the truth is, we know adversaries and competitors will exploit humans to be able to advance their interests, and you want to make sure that the people that hold the ********* people’s trust and the most precious pieces of information we have of advantage have no cracks in who they are. And so it seems expedient, but I think it will ultimately harm the institution. And by that I mean the institutions of America, if you have people who we discover later that they should not have had access or we discover later that they were vulnerable to the actions of our allies and of our adversaries and competitors. And – MARGARET BRENNAN: Because it’s leverage on them? SUE GORDON: It is. I mean that’s – I mean, the craft of human intelligence is actually finding someone who has a weakness and getting them to be able to advance your interests. And it just – and what a really good day is when you find someone whose interests align with yours, and then you really push that. So, a private firm isn’t going to have the standards that we’ve had. I know it’s inconvenient, but I think it’s a bad strategy and risky for America. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, CBS has also learned that to date the Trump team hasn’t signed the paperwork that would start the process of the national security briefings so that someone’s not walking in cold. They’re briefed and up to speed. Along with these background checks. The Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan group that helps with the transitions, confirmed that to CBS. Is there any good reason not to sign those papers? And what does it do for the officials who arrive without being read in on what’s happening now? SUE GORDON: Yes, I can’t think of a – I can’t think of a good reason. I think one of the great falsehoods that’s been perpetrated on America is that our institutions are maleficent. They need to be better. They need to be slimmer. They need to be more transparent, but they’re not bums, so you’re not protecting anybody by not signing those papers. And especially some of the nominees we have that don’t have the really deep experience base, these are big jobs. I mean intelligence is not just advising the president, it’s also running a huge enterprise in a manner that allows our allies and partners to trust us with their most precious thing. So, I can’t think of a reason why that’s not signed. And to start your gig without any foundation at all, especially when the institutions are begging to give you that foundation, just seems wrong-headed. MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re diplomatically referring to Tulsi Gabbard there, who doesn’t have a background in intelligence. SUE GORDON: Right. MARGARET BRENNAN: She also has a history of statements of saying things that mirror the rhetoric of U.S. adversaries. SUE GORDON: Right. MARGARET BRENNAN: Vladimir ****** and Bashar al Assad. There were at least two chemical weapons attacks in Syria that ******* thousands of people, and the U.S. intelligence community came to public assessments of high confidence. SUE GORDON: Yes. MARGARET BRENNAN: I imagine you saw all of that intelligence and you briefed on it. SUE GORDON: Yes. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, when she comes out and says that she doubts it, she’s skeptical, how’s that going to be received by the career professionals who work for her? SUE GORDON: Yes, I mentioned one of her jobs would be to be the senior adviser. The second is to be responsible for all intelligence-sharing agreements. So, our allies and partners, upon whom we rely that Syia assessment, that was ****** with our allies and partners. The one we had on Skripal was ******. Our assessment of Ukraine was ******. MARGARET BRENNAN: That was – sorry, just to explain for our viewers, Skripal, you are talking about the ******** on British soil of a former Russian by Russian intelligence. SUE GORDON: Yes. Right. Right. Yes, I’m sorry. But all those were jointly done with our allies and partners. We need them. It’s one of the greatest strengths of America. But they will make their own assessment over whether we can be trusted with their nation’s interests. And whether she meant it or not, whether she was just ill informed with that, she comes in with strikes against her in the trust perspective. Can we trust her with our most sacred intelligence to represent that in a fair way? So, I think it’s a problem, whether it’s judgment or any other thing that she has represented there. MARGARET BRENNAN: Another nerve in the intelligence community, of course, is Edward Snowden. SUE GORDON: Yes. MARGARET BRENNAN: Tulsi Gabbard and the selection for the attorney general, Matt Gaetz, put forward resolutions to call for the charges to be dropped against him because he leaked classified national intelligence material. He’s living in Russia these days. That kind of a position, how’s that going to be received? SUE GORDON: It reflects a lack of understanding of who we are, and it reflects a lack of respect for what we do. Unauthorized disclosures of intelligence are always bad. Don’t go with the good or bad any – good outcome or whether he was right or wrong. He had no authority, and he had different paths and he harmed America. He not only harmed intelligence, he harmed our allies and partners and he harmed our businesses by what it allowed China to assume about that. There is nothing justifiable about what he’s done. None. And so if they vacate it, what they’re basically saying is, all those rules you follow in order to be able to serve America, they don’t matter anymore. MARGARET BRENNAN: Sue Gordon, thank you for explaining this very opaque world of intelligence to us and for your analysis today. We’ll be back in a moment. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: Dr. Deborah Birx served as the White House coronavirus response coordinator in Donald Trump’s first term. She also had a long career in public health in the Army, working on Aids in ******* at the State Department, as well as time at the CDC. Good morning. Welcome back. DR. DEBORAH BIRX (Former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator): Good morning, Margaret. Glad to be with you. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, Dr. Birx, I want to ask you about your views on public health, which we’re looking at because of this nomination potentially of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. HHS has wide portfolio here, vaccines, medicine, overseas, Medicare, regulates food, beauty products, baby formula, reproductive health care. What would the impact be of having someone without government experience in that top job? DEBORAH BIRX: Well, I think the most important thing is what team he would bring with him because you’re talking about really a large cap corporation with a highly diverse group. What you have to really bring together – and frankly eliminate some of the duplications between these agencies to really become more cost effective. And so really having a management person at his side, a chief of staff perhaps, that has really come out of industry, that would know how to bring and look and bring those individuals together that are running the other agencies, because it’s a very comp – HHS is probably one of our most complicated departments. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you’re saying people with experience around him, we need to look at those lower level appointees Mr. Trump might make. What’s so interesting with RFK Jr. is how he has, in some ways, tapped into this health movement in America. He’s talking about more regulation, not less when it comes to ********* food. Here’s some of what he’s said. (BEGIN VC) ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY NOMINEE: I’m just going to tell the cereal companies, take all the dyes out of their food. I’ll get processed food out of school lunch immediately. Ten percent of food stamps go to sugar drinks, to, you know, sodas. We’re creating diabetes problems in our kids by giving them food that’s poison. And I’m going to stop that. (END VC) MARGARET BRENNAN: Those sound like good goals. Can he actually take on big agriculture and get that through? DEBORAH BIRX: I think because of a lot of the people who are suffering the most from these additives are actually people in our rural areas. You know, 16 percent of the Americans live in a rural area, but they are providing all of our oil and gas, all of our fiber, all of our cotton, and all of our food. And the level of diabetes in these communities because of their access to certain foods is extraordinarily high. I just came out of the field, 58 percent of the adults in the town that I was just in had already diabetes or prediabetes based on household survey where we went house to house. This is the reality of America. And so what I’m hoping is he brings his transparency for all Americans, and we really start to tackle these issues one by one by one. I think everybody across America wants to have healthy kids that they know will grow up, and not end up with the complications of diabetes or heart ********. MARGARET BRENNAN: It was very hard for Michelle Obama, when she was first lady, to get any of that done. And it might be hard for lawmakers who come from some of those agricultural states to vote against their own interests in terms of the farm subsidies and the like. DEBORAH BIRX: Well, we’re not talking about eliminating good food. We’re talking about using all of their ingredients in a way that is more healthy for Americans. And I think that’s what people are calling for now. Europe did it years ago. And I think we are capable of doing that. We are really smart, high levels of technology. We can make food tasty without a lot of these additives because we can see that other groups are doing it in a small way. So, we’re not talking about eliminating the need for wheats and grains, we’re talking about putting those together in a healthy way. MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you as well about some of his – the things he said about vaccines. As you know, the vaccine – vaccination rates are declining in America. He said things like restoring transparency around them. It’s not really clear what that means. Why do you think there’s a decline of vaccination? DEBORAH BIRX: I think there’s two pieces to it. I think when we talk about things in public health, we don’t acknowledge the concerns because when my children went to school, there was maybe one in 1,000 kids with autism, diagnosed autisms. Now it’s three per 100. So, every mom is seeing a classroom of kindergarteners where one of the children has autism. That’s scary to moms and dads. They want to know why. So, it’s not good enough for us to just say, vaccines don’t cause autism, it’s us finding what is the cause of autism and reverse it. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I think a lot of people would absolutely agree that it is ridiculous that there isn’t a lot of research and established causation with autism. DEBORAH BIRX: Yes. Yes. MARGARET BRENNAN: But what he has said in the past is that autism is caused by vaccines. And there’s no scientific basis for that conclusion, as I understand it. DEBORAH BIRX: That’s correct. And so that’s why, when he talks about transparency, I’m actually excited that in a Senate hearing he would bring forward his data and the questions that come from the senators would bring forth their data. What I know for sure is, he’s a very smart man who can bring his data and his evidence base forward, and we can have a discussion that many Americans believe already is a problem. So, until we can have that transparency and that open discussion from both sides, I know the members have incredible staffers who will bring great questions from their constituents, and that hearing would be a way for Americans to really see the data that you’re talking about, that we can’t see that causation right now. But what is causing it? And so you’re absolutely right, addressing what the cause is will be critical. And I think what has confused people is we weren’t clear about what Covid vaccines do and don’t. And so now people are questioning, well, what do my child vaccines do and don’t. And they don’t understand that some of the vaccines that their children are getting protect them from both ******** and create herd immunity, and some of them that they get are just for their child. Like H flu (ph) and pneumo vax (ph) to protect their child from getting very serious illness. And we’re just not explaining all of this correctly. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, and that’s why the messenger matters so much on this. DEBORAH BIRX: Yes, it does. MARGARET BRENNAN: Which is why his past statements are being scrutinized. You worked on Aids for a good part of your career. He has said that he doesn’t take a position on the relationship between **** and Aids, but then he ***** out alternative theories in his book and said, “Dr. Fauci never produced a study to demonstrate his hypothesis using accepted scientific proof.” Do you agree with that assertion on **** and Aids? DEBORAH BIRX: Well, having spent a career in understanding how **** and Aids progresses, **** virus is the cause of Aids. MARGARET BRENNAN: *******. DEBORAH BIRX: There’s a whole set of things that happen, and I think what **** taught me is you have to – it’s asymptomatic for ten years. And we’re finally recognizing how important asymptomatic ******** progression and ******** transmission is. That’s what **** taught us. But what other **** taught us was the entire human immune system. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. DEBORAH BIRX: So, by investing in **** research, we learned about CAR T- cells that we use today in *******. So, a lot of these research and investments pay off in other areas. And I think once he’s there at HHS, he’ll see that. MARGARET BRENNAN: OK. If he’s open to the data. Dr. Birx, thank you. We’ll be right back. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s it for us today. Thank you all for watching. Until next week. For FACE THE NATION, I’m Margaret Brennan. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) Source link #Full #transcript #Face #Nation #Margaret #Brennan #Nov Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Welsh Lib Dem leader Dodds should reflect on her position Welsh Lib Dem leader Dodds should reflect on her position PA Media Jane Dodds and Sir Ed Davey in Knighton, Powys, on the general election trail in May The leader of the ******** Democrats has said his party’s Welsh leader should reflect on her position over her handling of a ******* ****** case when she worked for the ******* of England. A 2021 report found Jane Dodds, who is in charge of the Welsh Lib Dems, made a “grave error of judgement” by not organising a meeting to discuss a particular case of ****** by a late former bishop who ********* abused at least 18 victims over a 15-year *******. Dodds has accepted there were “shortcomings”, but said she would continue as leader. Sir Ed Davey, when asked whether she should stand down, said she needed to “reflect on this very carefully” and “think about what else she may need to do”. ‘Error of judgement’ over ******* ****** Welsh Lib Dem leader should ‘reflect’ on criticism in CoE report – Davey It comes after the Archbishop of Canterbury resigned over his ******** to report prolific child abuser John Smyth. Dodds was accused of failing to arrange a meeting about the ****** of a person highlighted in the report, A Betrayal of Trust, published in 2021, which found the late Hubert Victor Whitsey, former Bishop of Chester, who ***** in 1987, committed “appalling acts” against children, teenagers and vulnerable adults between 1966 and 1981. Diocese of Chester A review found the late former Bishop of Chester, Hubert Victor Whitsey, ********* abused at least 18 victims over a 15 year ******* Davey told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “I accept that she has apologised, but this is such a serious issue, so I think she does need to think about what else she may need to do. “I’ve made my feelings really clear to her about what I think she should do and I think she’s reflecting. I hope she does.” After Davey’s comments, Dodds, the only Welsh ******** Democrat Member of the Senedd, said the party’s Welsh board had confidence in her leadership. She said she would “continue fighting for the people of Wales” as the party’s Welsh leader. Dodds said she “accepted at the time that there were shortcomings in organising meetings about this case” and “acknowledged” them in the report. “I have made child protection my life’s work, having worked in the field for over 20 years prior to entering politics,” she added. “I whole-heartedly apologise to the victims for the delays that this contributed to.” In a separate interview on BBC Radio Wales’ Sunday Supplement, before Davey’s interview, Dodds said she did not know who had been briefing Nation Cymru, which reported “Welsh ******** Democrats who are antagonistic towards Ms Dodds have only just become aware” of her involvement in the report. Tim Sly, president of the Welsh Lib Dems, said the board had expressed its “complete confidence” in Dodds as leader and considered the matter closed. Peter ******, who was a long-standing Lib Dem member of the Welsh assembly (now the Senedd), and is now a Swansea councillor, criticised Davey. ****** posted on X that Davey’s comments were “very unhelpful”. “It is clear he has not read the report, but regardless, this is a matter for the Welsh party, not him,” he wrote. “There are other ways he can express his view without contributing to a media witch hunt.” Source link #Welsh #Lib #Dem #leader #Dodds #reflect #position Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Every Mage Specialization, Ranked Dragon Age: The Veilguard Every Mage Specialization, Ranked Master of the arcane. Source link #Dragon #Age #Veilguard #Mage #Specialization #Ranked Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Grand Slam hopes alive as Faessler and Wright score hat-tricks in Wallabies rout over Wales Grand Slam hopes alive as Faessler and Wright score hat-tricks in Wallabies rout over Wales The Wallabies have surged halfway towards the coveted ‘grand slam’ on their British Isles tour by consigning hapless Wales to a record-breaking 11th successive Test defeat, a 52-20 thumping in gloom-laden Cardiff. Queensland ******* Matt Faessler had the day of his rugby life on Monday as he powered over for a hat-trick of tries under the roof at the Principality Stadium, while fullback Tom Wright also flew in for a consummate treble that won him the player-of-the-match award. Lock Nick Frost and centre Len Ikitau also got on the eight-try to two romp, while Noah Lolesio kicked six conversions, on one of Welsh rugby’s darkest days as they ended up as a weary rabble, put to the sword by the ruthless attacking flair of the Wallabies. Australia coach Joe Schmidt earned all the bragging rights in his 12th head-to-head with his fellow New Zealander Warren Gatland, whose future as Welsh boss now looks doomed after overseeing the worst ever sequence of losses for a proud rugby nation. Even when they were down to 14 men for 20 minutes in the second half after a yellow card for Samu Kerevi for a high tackle was upgraded, the Wallabies still scored three tries on a day of humiliation for the Welsh, whose fans were streaming out of the stadium well before the finish. The Wallabies didn’t even need another Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii super show to gild the lily, with the young centre getting just a 17 minute cameo at the end of the annihilation, which had been inspired by Rob Valetini’s thunderous display in the back row. So the Australians’ glorious revival marches on, with Schmidt’s men following up their fine win over England with an emphatic triumph that leaves them two wins away from emulating the Mark Ella-inspired class of 40 years ago who achieved the fabled ‘grand slam’. Even with eight changes in the side, two positionally, Australia were slick and cohesive in ******* in the opening stages, with phase after charging phase finally earning its dividend in the 13th minute when the electric Wright weaved past wrong-footed wing Blair Murray to score. Four minutes later, galloping lock Frost steamed through for another unchallenged after some great snaffling on the ground from Max Jorgensen, the last-gasp Twickenham try-scoring hero, who played a neat reverse pass to launch a counter-*******. When Faessler then burrowed over from a rolling maul with the Welsh defence in disarray, the third try in just nine minutes, humiliation beckoned for the home side. But their ***** was rekindled when a knock-on gave them their first real attacking platform with No.8 Aaron Wainwright brushing the post as he nabbed the 25th minute try that provided a platform for recovery, and a couple of penalties from Gareth Anscombe made it 13-19 at halftime. Australia suffered another ***** when Kerevi got his card in the first couple of minutes after the break for a reckless high shot on Jac Morgan, yet they brushed off this mini-calamity by only coming on stronger, Faessler powering over from another rolling maul just five minutes later. Still short-handed with 14, the Wallabies’ forwards just kept roaring forward, with the Queensland Reds ******* Faessler peeling away from the driving maul to plough over for a famous hat-trick, the first ever by a Wallaby *******. Wales, now 20 points adrift and desperate, cheered as James Botham, grandson of the great cricketer Ian Botham, edged in for a score in the right hand corner, but it was ruled out for an earlier forward pass. The Aussies then rubbed it in, with Wright scuttling away all the way to the line from his own 22 after intercepting a Sam Costelow pass – a third try when they were down to 14. The home side got a crumb of comfort from a second try, scored by centre Ben Thomas, but Ikitau danced through a weary and disorganised defence before Wright grabbed his hat-trick with the final ******* of the match. Source link #Grand #Slam #hopes #alive #Faessler #Wright #score #hattricks #Wallabies #rout #Wales Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Starbreeze To Invest ‘Significantly Less’ in Payday 3’s Second Year of Content Starbreeze To Invest ‘Significantly Less’ in Payday 3’s Second Year of Content In a recent financial update, Starbreeze’s leadership team revealed that it will shrink the team working on Payday 3 going into the game’s second year of content, and invest ‘significantly less’ overall. However, the company has assured players and shareholders that this won’t impact the value delivered to gamers worldwide. Less is More Starbreeze revealed in a recent financial report that Payday 2’s sales contributions were still a whopping 50% of the value of Payday 3’s contributions. That’s a representative example of the staying power of the second game, while the third game has long struggled with player retention. In a statement, the interim CEO of Starbreeze, Mats Juhl, said that the company is ‘leveraging the strength of its franchises’ to continue succeeding going into 2025: This time last year we had just launched PAYDAY 3 – a milestone for us as a studio, and a commercial success, but also a launch marred by a series of technical issues. Since then, we have worked tirelessly to improve the game and expand the amount of content and features. By the end of the quarter, we had launched four major DLCs as well as a large amount of updates to both functionality and content for all of our players. At the end of October, one of our biggest updates since launch was launched, with a brand new user interface, server browser, VoIP and much more. He mentioned midway through his statement that… … ahead of year two, we are confident in being able to continue delivering amounts of value to our players with a significantly lower level of investment. It was highlighted that the sentiment around Payday 3 is improving across all channels, which is true. The game has recovered somewhat from the terrible launch it underwent, even if the player base has dwindled considerably since release. Starbeeze will continue to deliver content for Payday 3 going into 2025, but perhaps at a slower cadence. The team is hard at work on Project Baxter, and Juhl revealed that the company is on an expansion initiative, fleshing out roles to support the development of the new game. For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Half-Life 2 has hit a new all-time high player count Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Starbreeze #Invest #Significantly #Payday #Year #Content Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trudeau says he could have acted faster on immigration changes, blames ‘bad actors’ – National Trudeau says he could have acted faster on immigration changes, blames ‘bad actors’ – National By The Staff The ********* Press Posted November 17, 2024 3:04 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government could have acted faster on reining in immigration programs, after blaming “bad actors” for gaming the system. Trudeau released a nearly seven-minute video on YouTube Sunday talking about the recent reduction in permanent residents being admitted to Canada and changes to the temporary foreign worker program. Over the next two years, the permanent residency stream is being reduced by about 20 per cent to 365,000 in 2027. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. In the video, Trudeau talks about the need to increase immigration after pandemic lockdowns ended in order to boost the labour market, saying the move helped avoid a full-blown recession. But after that, Trudeau says some “bad actors” took advantage of these programs, such as employers trying to avoid hiring Canadians, schools recruiting more international students for the higher tuition money, or scams promising bogus paths to citizenship. Trending Now Poilievre says he’d ****** Trump economic policies, tariffs ‘with *****’ Ukraine war likely to end more quickly under Trump, Zelenskyy says Story continues below advertisement Trudeau says that he and his team could have acted quicker once it became apparent businesses didn’t need the added labour help anymore. Trudeau says the goal of the government’s immigration reduction is to help stabilize population growth while housing stocks catch up, and then to consider gradually increasing immigration rates once again. More on Politics More videos &copy 2024 The ********* Press Source link #Trudeau #acted #faster #immigration #blames #bad #actors #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

He Says There’s Only One Reason He Didn’t He Says There’s Only One Reason He Didn’t Mark Cuban Planned To Retire By Age 35: He Says There’s Only One Reason He Didn’t Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban has founded several successful companies. He’s also part owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a star on the popular television show “Shark Tank.” He wouldn’t be where he is today if he retired in his mid-30s as he originally intended, and he owes a lot of that to his drive to be the best. What To Know: As a young entrepreneur in his 20s, fresh out of Indiana University’s esteemed Kelley School of Business, Cuban founded software consulting business MicroSolutions. According to CNBC, the young entrepreneur wanted to get rich and enter retirement by age 35. By the time he was 32, he sold the company for $6 million, pocketing around $2 million in profit. Don’t Miss: But he didn’t stop there like he initially planned. In a September 2022 episode of the “Re:Thinking” podcast, he revealed why he couldn’t just call it quits. “I’m not retired because I’m too competitive,” Cuban told Wharton psychologist Adam Grant on the show. The get-rich-quick mentality drove a lot of his early decision-making, but chalking the MicroSolutions ***** up as a win left the then-millionaire hungry for more. Every entrepreneur wants to “be that entrepreneur that disrupts an industry and changes it,” Cuban said: “What’s better than that?” See Also: Deloitte’s fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – You can still get 4,000 of its pre-IPO shares for with $1,000 for just $0.25/share He’s well on his way to disrupting the pharmaceutical industry with the Mark Cuban Cost Plus ***** Company, which he founded at the beginning of 2022. Costplusdrugs.com’s online pharmacy now carries over 2,000 prescription products, which are delivered via mail to thousands of customers each day. The company is transparent on costs, charging a standard markup on the drugs it sells. That results in prices that often come in at a fraction of the cost of their big pharma alternatives. As a public-benefit corporation, the company’s mission of improving public health is just as important as the numbers at the bottom of the balance sheet. Story Continues Speaking with Grant on the podcast, Cuban noted that if he were in his 20s again, he would probably have the same mindset as he did before and would look to start something that he could sell for a quick profit. “But now, the next dollar in my life, the marginal value of my next dollar is de minimis. It’s not going to change my life a lot. So my decision-making process is completely different,” Cuban said. Read Next: Photo: Gage Skidmore from Flickr. Some elements of this story were previously reported by Benzinga and it has been updated. UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Mark Cuban Planned To Retire By Age 35: He Says There’s Only One Reason He Didn’t originally appeared on Benzinga.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Source link #Reason #Didnt Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Robbie Williams hits back at comments made by ex-Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith in Boybands Forever Robbie Williams hits back at comments made by ex-Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith in Boybands Forever Robbie Williams has hit back at comments made by former Take That manager Nigel Martin-Smith in a new BBC three-part documentary about the highs and lows of being in a boyband. Both have taken part in Boybands Forever, the first two episodes of which aired on Saturday. In one scene, Martin-Smith – who managed Take That in the 1990s – claims Williams was “smart and quite clever” to blame his *****-taking on being “in this band where he couldn’t have girlfriends or couldn’t go out”. But the singer, who quit the band in 1995, took issue with the assertions, posting a lengthy post on Instagram on Sunday. BBC News has approached Martin-Smith for a comment. In the documentary, Martin-Smith said Williams had made him out to be “evil” and had blamed him for some of his behaviour, including his *****-taking. Responding specifically to that point, Williams told his former manager: “Allow me to respond to your assertion. My ***** taking was never your fault. “My response to the warped world that surrounded me is solely my own. How I chose to self-medicate is and was something that I will be monitoring and dealing with for the whole of my life. “It’s part of my make-up and I would have had the same malady had I been a taxi driver.” Williams also said he wanted to remind Martin-Smith that he was just 16 when he joined the band, and 21 when he left. “That was the last time I saw you. I hope I have more grace and understanding when and if any of my own four children at such a vulnerable age behave in the same manner.” Williams, who has since forged a successful solo career, also used his post to speak more generally about the pressures of being in a boyband. “Nearly all members of boybands it seems have at some point a mental breakdown,” he said. “Your young charge at this time in his life was experiencing his first. You didn’t excel in man management and it was here that, instead of a stern word and a pointed finger, an arm around the shoulder and a kind word would have been the best tact.” He added: “If you are following the story closely, you can’t help but notice a pattern emerge. Boys join a boyband. The band becomes huge. Boys get *****. “Some are fortunate through a series of self-examinations and help to overcome their experience. Some never quite manage to untangle the mess of the wreckage of the past. “I’m not breaking anyone’s anonymity by sharing the side effects of boyband dysphoria that relate to just us lads.” He went on the outline the struggles his bandmates have had in the past, including Gary Barlow’s battles with an eating disorder and Mark Owen’s struggles with alcohol ******. Returning to his former manager, he told him he had “deep admiration” for his work and his ability to take big risks. But he added: “Nige, you continue to not come across as a relatable character and could do with a glow-up where redeemable features are concerned. Therefore you play into the narrative you don’t want for yourself.” He went on to urge Martin-Smith to take accountability and to “admit your shortcomings”. The documentary, which reaches its conclusion this week, focuses on some of the biggest boybands to grace the charts during the 1990s and early 2000s. Source link #Robbie #Williams #hits #comments #exTake #manager #Nigel #MartinSmith #Boybands Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Five-goal England power to Nations League promotion Five-goal England power to Nations League promotion Temporary head coach Lee Carsley has signed off in style as England capitalised on Liam Scales’ sending off in a 5-0 thrashing of the Republic of Ireland that sealed promotion back to the Nations League top tier. The 17th and final fixture of a year that saw the national team reach another ********* Championship final marked the end of the Under-21s coach’s six-game stint as Gareth Southgate’s stand-in. Thomas Tuchel begins his quest to win the 2026 World Cup in the new year and takes over on the back of Nations League elevation after Carsley oversaw a comfortable win against the country he represented as a player. Carsley said: “I wanted the England team to be exciting to watch, be attacking. I see them day in, day out on the training ground and now people have seen it. “It’s given the staff and myself the confidence we can do the job. You always doubt yourself, whether you could do it or not. “There’s a lot of England managers sat in the house picking the team and to have the responsibility to do that and the trust from my bosses has been a massive boost of confidence.” Heimir Hallgrimsson’s Ireland had started well and frustrated England in the first half, only to spiral after Scales received his second yellow card for bringing down Jude Bellingham in the penalty area shortly after half-time. Captain Harry Kane, back in the starting line-up, struck home the resulting penalty, with Anthony Gordon then lashing in and Conor Gallagher scoring from close range just as Group B2 rivals Greece took the lead in Finland. Substitute Jarrod Bowen netted with his first touch and fellow introduction Taylor Harwood-Bellis completed a dream debut by heading in to wrap up a win that saw Carsley’s men top the pool. Greece, who went on to beat Finland 2-0, finished level on 15 points but England’s 3-0 win in Athens on Thursday meant they boasted a superior head-to-head record. Kane, who described Carsley as “top drawer”, said: “Two tough games, we got the job done away in Greece and we had to finish it here today. It was a tough first half and we came out in the second half with a lot more energy and finished it off.” Source link #Fivegoal #England #power #Nations #League #promotion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Half-Life 2 Hits an All-Time High During 20th Anniversary Celebrations Half-Life 2 Hits an All-Time High During 20th Anniversary Celebrations Half-Life 2 has secured a new player count record on Steam, with more users flocking to the game than ever before – or since records began, at least. On November 17, the iconic Valve-backed game hit 64,085 concurrent players, four times as many players as the previous all-time high. It helps that Valve pushed the game onto Steam with a 100% discount, of course. The game was also updated with some new features and added content, which further stoked the engine (no pun intended). Half-Life Comes Back to Life In 2021, a limited-time community event boosted Half-Life 2’s player count to around 16,000 concurrent users, but this free-to-own weekend combined with the 20th-anniversary celebrations decimated that record. To pay tribute to this legendary title on its 20th birthday, Valve added a sizeable developer commentary track to the game, equalling some three and a half hours. It doesn’t end there, though – Valve went above and beyond to flesh out Half-Life 2 with this update. Not only was the game made free-to-own, but Valve linked both episodes of Half-Life 2, introduced the ‘Lost Coast’ demo into the launcher and brought the Steam Workshop up to spec to support the game’s modding scene. The team also released an exclusive video showcasing almost 20 minutes of early footage from Half-Life 2’s development at Valve. The demo was pieced together in 2000, almost two years after the first game hit the market, and it was a world away from the finished product that would be released years later. Have you jumped back into Half-Life 2 to celebrate the game’s 20th anniversary? Let us know in the comments. For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Riot Games wants more League of Legends shows Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #HalfLife #Hits #AllTime #High #20th #Anniversary #Celebrations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Paedophile who ********* assaulted stepdaughter allowed to stay in *** under ECHR rules Paedophile who ********* assaulted stepdaughter allowed to stay in *** under ECHR rules A paedophile convicted of ********* assaulting his stepdaughter has been allowed to remain in the *** as deporting him would breach his right to a “family life”. The man, who is in his early 50s and is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was jailed for three years in 2020 for “appalling” offences including ******* ************ and ******* ******** against his stepdaughter and two other young ****** in the family. Because of the severity of his offences, he was ordered to be deported back to his ******** homeland. However, he successfully appealed against the sanction, with an immigration judge ruling deportation would “negatively impact” the “wellbeing” of his wife and three biological children, whom the ******* offences were not committed against. The decision was made despite the tribunal accepting that the man “continues to pose a risk to the community, in particular children”. It would mean he would rejoin the household, including the stepdaughter he was convicted of assaulting. In a ruling published last month, the Home Office won the right to a new hearing in which it will seek to deport the man, who lives in the Glasgow area, and is referred to in legal papers only as MD. He cannot be named to protect the identity of the children. Liam Kerr, justice spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said: “The public will be appalled that this dangerous ********* can remain in Scotland. Common sense should mean that public safety is always prioritised rather than offenders.” Asylum claim MD arrived in the *** in 2008 and claimed asylum. The asylum bid was rejected, but he was granted leave to remain in Britain in 2014 as by that point he had married and fathered a child, and it was ruled deportation would breach his right to “family life”. He had two further children, born in 2016 and 2018. A deportation order was issued in 2022, following his conviction for ******* offences against his stepdaughter and two of her cousins. Sentencing him to three years in jail for a “particularly serious and appalling ******”, the judge said the evidence indicated MD had committed the attacks for his “own ******* gratification”. The judge said he had “no regard” for his young victims, who faced the potential of a “lifelong legacy of psychological harm”. However, the deportation order was quashed after MD appealed, winning on the grounds that it would have been unlawful under the Human Rights Act 1998, which incorporated the ********* Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) into *** law. The case is likely to add weight to calls for Britain to leave the ECHR, due to claims that it leaves ministers powerless to deport ******* asylum seekers and dangerous **********. The judge ruled that should MD be removed from the ***, his wife would lose “all emotional support” the paedophile was able to provide to her, which would “negatively impact” their children’s wellbeing. MD continues to deny the ******* he was convicted of and his wife believes he is innocent. She had been struggling particularly to care for their youngest child, who has a diagnosis of autism, with this “tipping the balance” in his favour, according to the judge who presided over his appeal against deportation. The Home Secretary won an appeal against the ruling, in part because the interests of the stepdaughter had not been considered in an independent social work report that was crucial to allowing the original appeal. It was also found that the potential risk MD might pose to his own children had not been taken into account. A new hearing is expected to take place this month. The Home Office has been approached for comment. Source link #Paedophile #********* #assaulted #stepdaughter #allowed #stay #ECHR #rules Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth denies ******* ******** allegation, acknowledges payment to accuser Trump defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth denies ******* ******** allegation, acknowledges payment to accuser Host Pete Hegseth during “FOX & Friends” at Fox News Channel Studios on May 27, 2022 in New York City. Roy Rochlin | Getty Images Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth’s attorney on Sunday confirmed to NBC News that Hegseth, whom President-elect Donald Trump has named as his candidate for defense secretary, paid a woman an undisclosed amount after she accused him of ******* ********. “In 2023, Hegseth paid the complainant as part of a civil confidential settlement agreement and maintains his innocence,” Timothy Parlatore, Hegseth’s attorney, said in a statement. He also denied that the encounter between Hegseth and an unnamed woman, which she alleges happened in 2017, was ******* ********. Parlatore’s statement comes after The Washington Post on Saturday reported that a friend of Hegseth’s accuser sent a memo to the Trump transition team detailing the allegations. NBC News has not independently reviewed the memo, but Parlatore confirmed that it is related to an encounter Hegseth and the unnamed woman had in Monterey, California, during a conference of the California Federation of *********** Women. The Post reported that the memo said the woman was at the conference with her husband and her children and “didn’t remember anything until she was in Hegseth’s hotel room and then stumbling to find her hotel room” on the night in question. Parlatore denied the allegation, saying, “This is a situation where a consensual encounter occurred and, unfortunately, the woman had to come up with a lie to explain why the woman had not come back to her husband’s room that night.” “It wasn’t reported until days later until there was pressure from her husband. It was fully investigated by police and video surveillance as well as multiple eyewitness statements show that she was the aggressor,” he added. Authorities in Monterey investigated the allegation in 2017 and did not file charges against Hegseth. Parlatore also called his client “completely innocent” and accused the woman of “trying to squeeze Mr. Hegseth for money.” Before Hegseth officially becomes defense secretary, he’ll have to win over a majority of the Senate in a confirmation vote. On Sunday, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that “I think he’s a good pick.” Still, he added that the Senate would have to deliberate and review Hegseth’s record ahead of a vote. “But once again, as allegations come out, we’ll figure out if, as the Senate moves forward with the advice and consent to the president of the ******* States and doing our constitutional duties, we’ll figure out if he can get confirmed or not. And I do think that Pete’s a good pick for this position,” Mullin said. Source link #Trump #defense #secretary #pick #Pete #Hegseth #denies #******* #******** #allegation #acknowledges #payment #accuser Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Riot Games Suggests More League Shows Will Follow in Arcane’s Footsteps Riot Games Suggests More League Shows Will Follow in Arcane’s Footsteps It was recently revealed that Arcane set a record as the most expensive animated television series ever, coming in at a whopping $250 million for just two seasons. It has been a roaring success, though – and fans are lapping up the content, especially now that the League of Legends World Championship has wrapped up. Admittedly, Arcane is a masterclass in animation, and it’s picking up some seriously high praise from fans worldwide. In a recent post on Twitter, one of Riot Games’ co-founders, Marc Merrill, revealed that Riot Games isn’t done with these animated shows, despite the third season of Arcane being cancelled. We Want More In a simple post on Twitter, Marc Merrill revealed that ‘there are lots of other stories to tell’. He was responding to a question asking why there won’t be more seasons of Arcane. Mere weeks ago, Merrill was defending the budget that Riot Games blew through in the production of Arcane’s first and second seasons: We’re more than comfortable with the spend it took to deliver a show that was worthy of our players’ time. League of Legends has been running for more than a decade and ******** one of the most storied and lore-heavy games in existence. It has a thriving community backing it up, and millions of people are more than willing to soak up whatever multimedia offerings Riot Games can produce. Perhaps a budget adjustment will take place, though. With Riot Games spending $250 million to produce 18 episodes of a show, many have questioned the sustainability of the company’s coffers. If that’s trimmed up, maybe we’ll get something with more meat on the bones – who knows? Do you want to see more animated shows coming out of the League of Legends camp? Let us know in the comments. For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Twitch is undergoing an ad revenue drop Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Riot #Games #Suggests #League #Shows #Follow #Arcanes #Footsteps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]